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TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1920
Hoke Smith for United States Semator
GEORGIA WILD NEED A MAN OF
HOKE SMITH’S ABILITY AND
EXPERIENCE IN SENATE.
(From the Albany Herald)
The Herald has never been more
sincere and unselfish in anything of
a political nature it has advocated
or stood for than it is in the opinion
that the people of Geotrgia would not
only make a great political mistake
put be disregarding their own best
interests by retiring Hon. Hoke
Smith at this time—and under cir
cumstances in which factionalism is
peing given all too much sway. And
if the intelligent, broad-minded vot
ers of the state who stand for pro
gressive ideas, with reference . to
public men and a constructive policy
in governmental affairs will divest
themselves of all factional bias and
the petty prejudices growing out of
past differences and affiliations in
our state politics, that great mistake
will not be made.
if, in considering the merits of.
men in connrection with political pre
ferment, we hark back to past dif
ferences and dig up some old
grudge that is based on nothing more
than a difference of opinion or fac
tional affiliation in.a strenuous cam
paign in the past—if we suffer our
selves to be controlled by such un
worthy impulses and prejudices—
we can never find ourselves support
ing any considerable length of time
any man of consequence who has
been through one or more such bit
ter campaigns as we frequently
have in Georgia. Senator Smith has
been through more than one of these
campaigns and has naturally made
olitical enemies, some of whom
are not only unforgiving but seem
to be leagued together in a faction
whose chief end appears to be to
nag him at every turn and discredit
and antagonize him every time he
coes before the people.
The Herald has not always been
a supporter of Senator Smith and
has more than once differed with
him, but this paper has never per
mitted these differences, nor differ
ences it has had with other public
men. to embitter it or lead it into
factionalism. If we do say it for
ourselves, this paper has always
tried to rise above personal grudges
or political factionalism.
And so, while we differed with
Senator Smith in his attitude toward
the Wilson administration and stren
vously opposed him in his recent
candidacy “in Georgia” for the
presidency, we indulged in no per
sonal abuse or vituperation. We
therefore have no ocecasion now for
making retractions, nor is it neces
sary that we should offer any apol
ogy for supporting him in his candi
dacy for another term in the Unit
ed States senate, %
Viewing the situation and the is
sues, present and prospective, from
a sane and patriotic standpoint,
without any other object or purpose
than to serve our state’s best inter
ests, we can see no reason for want
ine to retire Senator Smith from
the senate in favor of any other
man now in the race. In point of
ability and real statesmanship he
towers above them all, and Georgia
hasn't a man today who could meas
urably fill his place in the senate.
He has originated and been directly
and actively connected with more
constructive legislation than any
man Georgia has had in the sengte
<ince the civil war, and is recogniz
ed as one of the biggest men the
Sonth has had in the senate during
the present generation.
To retire such a man from the
cenate in this crucial time of the
world's history would be worse than
volitical folly.
RE-ELECT SENATOR SMITA.
(From the Moultrie Observer)
Senator Smith’s re-election is, in
the opinion of the Observer, one of
the paramount things involved in the
muchly mixed political situation in
Georgia this year. The senior sena
tor from Georgia is one of the most
valuable men this state has had in
Washington in ‘many years. We say
this in all good conscience, knowing
that there are many good neople
who dislike Senator Smith, and will,
for one reason or another, oppose
him for re-election. Senator Smith
has some very bitter enemies made
in hard-fought battles of the past,
and these wage endless warfare on
him, charging him ‘with all kinds
of crimes and misdemeanors, bad
faith, lack of loyalty, lack of party
fealty, ete. Despite these charges,
brought in bitterness and strife, we
believe if the voter who earnestly
desires to serve his state in the best
manner possible will take the rec
ord of Senator Smith since he has
been in politics in Georgia, careful
ly analyze it, weigh that which has
been of public benefit and in the
interest of the people against that
which has been selfish and faction
al and unworthy they will f.h\di
oreat preponderance on the side of
“his able, honest and unselfish ser—l
vice in behalf of the state he rep
resents, - l
THAT $60,000 TOBACCO TAX : |
MACON NEWS-—The collection of
$60,000 from the business men of
Georgia for selling cigarette tobacco,
when that law had already been re
pealed, is one of the things which will
cause Governor Dorsey to do some tall
explaining before he induces anybody
t" vote for him for the senate. A
clief executive who does not even
k7ow when an important law has been
Tevealed, and sends out half a dozen
“vocial agents to enforce it and col
" “delinquent” taxes under it, is
"dly the careful and vigilant kind of
"1 we need in the United States
t“"nte during the trying six years
) come,
Hoke Smith Will Be Needed in the
Next Senate to Fight Federal Control
Of Franchise in the Southern States
The recent ratification of the
woman suffrage amendment te the
constitution of the United States by
Tennessee has injected a question
into future legislation vital to the
South’s peace and prosperity and
political existence.
This amendmgent received but
scant support from the South, due
to the dangers and possibilities which
lie latent in its enactment. The
question looms large, “Who Shall’
Be the Masters in Georgia?”’ It
places this franchise squarely under
federal control at a critical time in
the history of our people—when
danger of republican domination of
the government is impending; when
sentiment in the North is being de
veloped in favor of reducing our
representation; when that party has
named as its leader in this state the
notorious negro Henry Lincoln
Johnson, and hopes, by enfranchis
ing vicious, ignorant neg Bro women,
to again rule Georgia.
_This is no time to retire a vet
eran of a hundred battles, and sub
stitute’ a novice in the battle line.
We need the ablest men we have,
men trained, experienced and capa
ble, to meet the republicans on any
question. This is not the time to
rock the boat; this is not the time to
put novices at the helm; this is not
the time to let personal animotisy
and hate control.
® ® ®
Surprising Revelations of the
Collection by Gov. Dorsey of
$60,000 Dollars of Illegal Tax
The press of the state has in the past few days made surprising revela
tions of the collection of thousands of dollars of illegal tax from the busi
ness men of Georgia and the payment of an extravagant per cent. to eight
men appointed by Governor Dorsey to comb the state and rake in this mon
ey. The probability is, too, that much of it, especially that part paid to
these appointees, will never be refunded to those from whom it was taken.
Can the voters of Georgia afford to elevate to a higher office a governor
who knows so little of the law or is so careless in the discharge of his offi
cial duty? Read the article below, from one of the daily newspapers of the
state, which fully and impartially sets forth the facts of the matter and then
ponder the startling revelations.
Thirty Per Cent is Paid for Collecting an
Illegal State Tax.
Interest .at the state capitol was at
a high pitch Tuesday as the result of
further developments in the situation
created by the collection of the illegal
jcigarette tobaceo tax fror: merchants
i’all over Georgia by Governor Dorsey’s
special tax investigators and the sub
}sequent decision of the governor to re
fund a portion of the amount paid aft
er vigorous protest had been made
by business men in various sections of
the state.
‘ It was disclosed that the eight spe
cial tax investigators appointed on
‘the recommendation of the governor
’acgually collected in 1919 the sum of
$100,115.08, of which approximately
[560,000 represented taxes on dealers
in cigarette tobacco, which later were
held to be illegal. |
But the state did not receive the
full amount of $100,115.08, nor the full
amount of $60,000 in cigarette tobac
|co taxes. * The special tax investiga
tors g§20,027.50 in commissions
’whi]e the™county tax collectors got‘
‘another 10 per cent commission,
amounting to $10,015.50 all told. Thus
the state received only $70,077.04 out[
of the original $100,115.08 collected
in back taxes. i l
1 Report of Comptroller.
Also, as a matter of fact, the state
received only about $42,000 out of the
$60,000 collected in cigarette tobacco
taxes. The difference is found In the
commission paid to the special tax in
vestigators and to the various coun
ty tax collectors.
The report of Compfroller General
William A. Wright shows that the
special tax investigators collected the
following amounts, which include not
only the cigarette tobacco taxes, but
past due occupational taxes of various
kinds:
J. F. Roberts, Greensboro_s 16,265.70
Marshall Nelms (former
executive secretary to
Governor Dorsey) ... 20,389.70
Judge W. F. Hunt, Griffin. 545794
Caughey Culpepper, Fort
e h T 2,457.94
W. E. Christie, Atlanta __ 6,459.22
R. E. Church, Atlanta ____. 16,800.96
R. C. Buchanan, Waycross. ~ 1,171.34
Pobals - il .. $100,115.08
According to the official records,
the counties in which cigarette to
bacco taxes were collected were
Polk, Bartow, Gordon, Chattooga,‘
Emanuel, Sereven, Oglethorpe, Mad
ison, Oconee, Ta’liaferro, Newton,
Jasper, Jones, Henry, Rockdale,
Sumter, Houston, Macon, Twiggs,
Jefferson, Bleckley and Terrell. |
The eight special tax investigatorr'
were not out to collect only the
cigarette tobacco tax, but to gather
in back occupational taxes and vari
ous kinds of special taxes. They col
lected these other taxes in the big
cities like Atlanta, Macon and Sa
vannah, but made no collections of
the cigarette tobacco tax, which has
since been held .to be illegal. I
Hoke Smith ranks high in the
councils of his party; he fills strag
etic positions on the committees, es
pecially the one that relates to the
new enfranchisement, being the}
ranking democrat there, and can
render the best service. He is au
thor of the Georgia franchise law,
and can defend and maintain it 'fari
better than any other Georgian. If‘
he is defeated his successor will not
be placed on this committee; it will
be the next ranking democrat, who
may be a northern man, where ne
groes are few and whose election
may depend on conciliation of the
negro vote. :
The democrats of Georgia will do
well to exercise sound judgment in
selecting a senator in this critical
time to defend the southern point
of view, and who is fortunately lo
cated on the stragetic point of van
tage of the franchise committee
that will have this question under
control. Hoke Smith is now on that
committee, and can not be displac
ed. Neither Watson or Dorsey can
be on that committee. Let us look
to the future, forgetting the ani
mosities of he past that so easily
beset us, turn our eyes to the dawn
ing of the morrow, and have on
guard at the gateway of our ballot
box the man most capable of serving
us effectively—Hoke Smith,
Vote for him on September Bth.
The merchants are making two
complaints. First, they complain be
cause they were forced to pay a tax
which they were not due to pay; sec
ond, they complain because they were
not offered a refund of 100 per cent
when the tax was subsequently held
Ito be unauthorized, but offered only a
lx'efund of 70 per cent, this represent
ling the amount they had paid minus
;c—ommissions taken out by the tax in
| vestigators.
Merchants who paid the cigarette
tobacco. tax under protest, declaring
ithat they neither sold nor gave away
|cigarette papers, and therefore were
inot liable for the occupational tax of
§s2s per year, now are sending in affi
|davits to that effect. They hope to
| secure a refund of the money they paid
'to the special tax investigators in thel
lway of illegal cigarette tobacco
ltaxes, Governor Dorsey having an
nounced that refunds would be made
where merchants would certify that
they were not liable for the tax un
der the law.
I But the state did not receive the
full amount of the tax collected. The
ispecial tax .investigators and the,
county tax collectors received commis
sions of 20 per cent and 10 per cent
respectively. The state, therefore,
takés the position that g only 70
lper cent refund can be made, except
where the special tax investigators
land the county tax collectors are will
‘ing to refund their commissions.
, Some Agree to Refund. ~
Some of the special tax investiga
tors and county tax collectors have
agreed to refund their commissions
and thus permit the state to make a
100 per cent refund to merchants who
paid the cigarette tobacco tax for
which they were not liable. Others
thus far have refused to do so.
In this connection R. E. Church,
one of the investigators employed by
the governor, has given out a statement
in which he insists that his commis
sions belong to him, notwithstanding
the ruling by Comptroller General
Wright which knocked out the tobac
co tax. His contention is that he
acted upon the authority of the gov
ernor, the attorney general and the
comptroller general; that he incurred
expenses in colleeting his part of the
taxes in good faith, and is therefore
entitled to Ms commissions.
* Thus far there have been filed at
‘the capitol affidavits from many mer
|chants desiring a refund. In response
'to these demands warrants have been
'drawn to the amount of $8,125.94, al-,
though all of this amount has not
ibeen actually distributed in the form
of checks. Several checks have been
sent to merchants in various parts of
}the state, but not for 100 per cent of
ithe amount they paid to the special
'tax investigators. The checks repre
'sent a7O per cent refund. °
If the special tax investigators re
fund, their commissions and if thej
county tax collectors refund their!
commissions the merchants will be
““THE DAWSON NEWS.
given all their money back; other
wise they will get 70 per cent of what
they paid in illegal cigarette tobacco
taxes. :
Some May Resign.
It also developed Tuesday that a
few months ago the commission paid to
the special tax investigators was re
duced from 20 per cent to 15 per cent,
It was found that some of the investi
gators were ‘“making money too fast”
as one state official tersely expressed
it. Their comimssions stM hold good,
however, and although their operations
have been somewhat restricted of late
‘their authority to collect taxes on
icommission is unimpaired. One or
‘two of them have. expressed their de
‘termination to resign, it is understood,
as the result of the storm of protest
that has arisen all over the state.
The collection of the cigarette to
bacco tax by means of the special
tax invesfigators was decided upon
by the governor in contravention of
the opinion of Comptroller General
Wright. and it was upon the ruling
of the conmptroller general that the
decision to make refunds was final
ly reached. The comptroller general
ruled that merchants selling cigar
ette tobacco were not liable for the
tax if they had not sold or given
away cigarette papers.
LET MR. DORSEY
DEBATE OR QUIT
(From the Macon News)
By a rather remarkable coinci
dence the Atlanta Constitution and
the Macon Telegraph pretend sim
ultaneously to have reached the con
clusion that Cliff Walker is a strong
er gubernatorial candidate than John
Holder, and they are therefore call
ing upon Mr. Holder to withdraw
from the race in order not to divide
the conservative vote of the state
and make possible the election® of
Hardwick.
Do the Constitution and the Tele
graph imagine for one moment that
the intelligent voters of Georgia will
‘not at once ask the verye obvious
question why these same newspapers
do mnot at the same time demand
that Governor Dorsey retire from
the senatorial race so as not to di
vide the conservative vote between
himself and Hoke Smith. -
| We repeat that this is no time to
| send erratic or incompetent men to
' the senate of the United States. If
\Dorsey is unwilling to retire from
the race and thus make the defeat
of Watson doubly certain, then he
owes itto the people to accept the
open challenge extended him by Sen
ator Smith to meet him in joint de
bate and let the voters judge of
their relative ability.
k- F
' &
*fs,g-_gfi " ‘ P
A Gooduich Tire is one necessity sold at less than pre-war prices
Goodrich Tires cost 15% to 20% less than they did in 1910—
and give far greater service.
i T , _.
' SOLD RY ‘
| Dawson Buick Company
Locke~Mathis Motor Company
4
PLEASED OVER REPQRTS
ATLANTA, Ga.—The collapse of
Governor Hugh M, Dersey’s candi
dacy in North Georgia is reflected
in the rising tide of confidence that
pervades the headquarters of U. S.
Senator Hoke Smi'gx. This, in a nut
shell, summarized the senatorial sit
uation today as it appeared follow
ing recent developments. The optim
ism of the Smith people is no less
pronounced than the dismay of the
Dorsey men. It is quite as apparent
as the uneasiness of the Watson
supporters. From every section of
the state—North Georgia, Middle
Georgia and South Georgia—come
the same reports that the people
are turning to Senator Smith as the
man best qualified to represent them
in the next senate, when questions
of great moment, especially to the
South, will come before congress,
and men of big brain and experience
in legislative halls will be needed
to combat the able and resourceful
republicans who will represent that
party in the state. They realize that
Georgia needs and must send a real
statesman.
Concerning Governor Dorsey’s re
ception in his old home county, the
following statement was issued from
Hoke Smith’s headquarters:
“The Smith campaign headquar
ters is encouraged to a point of jub
ilation over what they conceive to
be the utter collapse of Governor
Dorsey’s candidacy—a collapse that
is accentuated by the dismay that
pervades the Dorsey following. This
spirit of gloom is reflected by the
offer of bets at two to one that the
governor does not carry Fayette, the
county of his birth and boyhood.
“While the governor was accord
ed an attentive hearing by the three
or four hundred citizens who heard
the opening gun of his campaign re
ports received by Smith headquar
ters remove every doubt as to the
character of his strength in Fay
ette. While he has many warm per
sonal friends who are proud of his
success in politics his §ipporters in
the county are in the minority—a
fact accentuated by their unwilling
ness to cover the two to one money
that is being freely offered against
his carrying Fayette.”
eaevpddrers shrdlu ecmfwyp cfyppp
. THE LOGICAL MAN.
As the people take sober thought
and size up candidates and consider
issues and conditions as they really
are, more and more will they turn
to Hoke Smith as the logical man
to vote for in the present senatorial
race.
cAdjustment Basis
Silvertown Cords
8000 Miles
Fabric Tires
6000 Miles
In addition to my PRESSING CLUB I have taken the
agency for the Americus Steam Laundry and will ap
preciate the patronage of the public. All laundry
will be called for on Monday, and delivered on Friday.
Phone 375 C. F. SCOTT Daswon, Ga.
The school house-at New Bethel
will be sold to the highest bidder
on the grounds :
Saturday Sept, 2nd.
12 O’clock a. m.
- J. A. TOOLEY
S. ]J. SENN
J. H. SENN
» « Committee.
BAGGING, TIES AND
COTTON SHEETS
AT SPECIAL PRICES ON LOTS
We handle only Ludlow’s good BAG
GING and it 1s the BEST to be had.
CALL ON US AND GET PRICES.
SPECIAL ATTENTION_TOREVERYEONE.
CASH TO EVERYBODY
‘'W. F. ENGLISH
Phone 67 Dawson, Georgia
PAGE ELEVEN